Manchester United have sold Cristiano Ronaldo at the right time and at a fantastic price. United don't do 'galaticos' and we never will. Manchester United are a principled club that requires its players to behave and perform in a certain way. A way that is in keeping with ethos of this great club. Our history demands our players to perform for the club and not just for themselves. In my mind it became clear that the last two seasons saw Ronaldo do one too many stepovers against these principles for Ferguson to ignore. And with a world record offer of £80m on the table, the deal made sense for all concerned.
The tactic of playing Ronaldo upfront as the sole striker was rightly hailed as a footballing success. Yet it also served to single Ronaldo out as a person on his own, admist his team mates. A player whose demands to be center of attention was at the expense of others. Rooney was put on the wing by Ferguson for football reasons and yet it almost seemed like a signal to the world that a Manchester United team without Cristiano Ronaldo might be better, more balanced and more united.
Manchester United owe Cristiano Ronaldo a huge gratitude. He was one of the most excitement football talents to ever step onto the Old Trafford pitch. For me, one of the most gifted young players I have ever seen. He played great attacking football and developed tricks that mesmerised opposition players and drew gasps from the crowds and demanded the attention of the world stage. Love him or hate, you could never ignore him. Yet he was successful too and this stands him out as arguably one of the best players of modern football. Ferguson is right, Manchester United fans should feel fortunate to have seen him play at Old Trafford and should be pleased that club and player now go their separate ways before the memory of the player became ruined by his need to be more than a club player.
